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MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — Grateful for the welcome he received since opening MTK Tavern eight months ago, owner Jeffrey Rosen is excited to give back to the local music community. Starting Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m., the restaurant, bar and music venue will host a weekly jam session for student musicians.

Rosen, who has been working with local music schools and private instructors to coordinate the jam, has reserved the stage every Sunday for young people to show off their performance chops for family, friends and guests, and get in some good practice as well.

The tavern now hosts four nights of live music every week, Rosen said, “so this is just adding to that by giving another demographic the opportunity where they may not get that opportunity as often.”

Rosen said local music teacher Rich Kelly, a regular performer at
MTK Tavern
, will oversee the event, which Rosen said has gotten a very positive response
on Facebook
so far. No phone calls or reservations are necessary to participate, Rosen said, so musicians can just drop in and sign up.

"I don’t see too many places that have actually created special events to get kids the opportunity to play on a weekly basis,” Rosen said, like the monthly open mic at 12 Grapes in Peekskill.

Rosen said local parents told him it was hard for their busy students to find the time to participate in MTK’s regular rock jam on weeknights, he said, so he decided to institute the weekly session on Sundays, when students have time to spare from homework and after-school activities.

Rosen said he is in discussions with the Logan Music School, the School of Rock and the Music School of Pleasantville for some of their students to participate in the jam.

“There are some very talented youth musicians out there,” Rosen said. “Many of them are better than the adults who get up and play, to be quite honest.”

“It’s nice to hear the 14- and 15-year-olds get up and play Led Zeppelin and other rock bands from the ’70s,” he added.